Welcome to A Familiar World
by Golden Morpho
Summary: After seeing a curious, golden butterfly, Princess Zelda finds herself in a place she has never been before. Yet... she somehow feels a connection toward this familiar world. Inspired by Alice in Wonderland (and for a challenge on the Zelda Amino).
1. Part 1

"Link, look! Plants like this one used to grow all over this mountainside." Zelda snapped a picture with her Sheikah Slate. "They say its pollen gives fish an almost caramelized taste."

Link careened over her shoulder and glanced at the spiked herb before nodding. Of course he would be used to the plant. He was familiar with this world. She wasn't the one who lost her memory. Everything was so strange to her and yet familiar at the same time. Who knew that so much could change in only a hundred years?

It seemed like only yesterday, she was bickering about the smallest of things and sharing her problems to Urbosa's attentive ears or joking around with Daruk.

Sometimes, she really wished she could have met the same fate Link had instead.

Zelda blinked and then she saw it: a golden butterfly. "Link! Link! What is that?" Not waiting for her retainer's reply, she rushed after the flying creature. Her feet carried her over protruding roots and around the tall trees of the forest. She fumbled with her Sheikah Slate. It looked similar to a morpho butterfly, but golden morphos did not exist. Mayhaps it was a rare mutation or, even more exciting, a miniature animatronic.

The butterfly then began to fly higher into the forest canopy. Zelda could only watch as her hope for answers flitted away. "And I couldn't even get a picture." She pulled out a pocket-sized journal and pencil from her belt and flipped the filled pages to a clean, blank page. "Link, would you say its wings were 'v'-shaped?"

No answer.

"Link?" Had she run too far? Her hero was nowhere in sight. "Oh, Hylia." This part of the forest was unrecognizable to her as was everything else, it seemed. "Link!"

This time, there was an answer; it came in the form of a zipping noise, too unnatural to be the call of an animal. Zelda felt the hair rise up the nape of her neck. What if it was a monster? As quickly as the noise came, it vanished. She heard nothing. Not even the sounds of the forest. She took a step back and that is when she fell.

...

"Smokey! Smokey!"

A sharp pain invaded Zelda's head and the chilled grass under her served no comfort.

"Smokey!"

Zelda opened her eyes to the dark landscape. After blinking once or twice in disbelief, she shot up from the grassy bed. Black particles flickered in and out of view.

What was this place?

"Excuse me, miss?"

Zelda turned around toward the voice. A diminutive, pig-tailed girl was looking up at her, holding a wicker basket with two hands.

"W... where am I?" Zelda asked. The girl looked Hyrulian enough, but her fashion choices were strange to say the least. Zelda flinched when a black particle appeared in front of her before fading away.

"Wow. Where did you get that, um," the girl said ignoring her question and pointing at Zelda's top.

The princess furrowed her brows. "Please, could you help-"

"Help! Yes!" The girl interrupted. "I am looking for a blue caterpillar named Smokey. About this long." She set her basket down and moved her hands a distance apart. "Have you seen him?"

"I'm afraid not. I don't mean to trouble you any further, but could you help me?"

Pig-tailed girl picked up her basket sullenly. "I hope he is okay. I am sorry about before. Things are really dangerous around here."

"That's my question. Where is 'here'?" Zelda asked.

"Near Hyrule Castle. Just a wee bit west. Are you okay?"

"I think so? I fell and woke up here, but I've never been here." She gasped. "The ruins are nearby?!"

"Ruins? You are confusing me. I guess everything is gloomy enough to be a ruin nowadays," she said, waving her hand past one of the black particles. "Everything's been like this since Zant came. It's a real downer."

"Zant?"

"How hard did you hit your head, you poor friend. Zant is this real big bully. I'd be careful if I were you. There are portals opening everywhere. My poor buggies have been missing for days now."

"A portal?" Zelda asked. "I do feel like this my situation. Actually, may I ask you a question about bugs?"

The girl's eyes shimmered and she nodded. "But I don't think there are any portal buggies. Oh! If there are, I hope they are okay."

"Before everything happened, I saw this peculiar butterfly. It was gold in color and-"

"Smokey!" She dropped her basket. "Oh, that makes me so happy. He was due to become a butterfly sooner than later."

"Really?" Zelda instinctively reached for her journal. "What is he? I never saw such a butterfly like him before. How did he get to..." Zelda hesitated. "Wherever I came from?"

The little girl put her hand under her chin as if deep in thought. "Well, that may explain it. Smokey is a wishing butterfly. They are uber rare and uber special, although they are not very good at granting wishes accurately."

"Are you saying that Smokey can grant wishes? If that is the case, I still don't understand why I am here. I didn't wish for this."

"See, you didn't need to wish for whatever 'this' is to you, but Smokey always had a lot of potential. You must've wished for something similar. Think reeeaaaally hard."

What had she wished for? For her friends to return from the dead? For things to be they way they once used to be? What was she thinking before she saw the butterfly? Think. Think. Think.

"I wanted to meet a fate in which I forgot my past and was brought into an unfamiliar world with no burdens. Like my friend had."

"Oh." The girl frowned. "That's a pretty dark wish. All sorts of things could go wrong with that. I feel sorry for your friend."

"But this is still Hyrule!" Zelda exclaimed. "I am not in a different world. Everything is okay. Everything is..." She faltered and looked down at her hands. "I'm dreaming."

"I hope you are. You can't make a wish on the same butterfly twice. I hope I am dreaming too and, when I wake up, the sky will be blue again," she remarked, looking past Zelda with a soft smile. "I want to help you, miss, but I can't. My poor, little buggies are all alone somewhere and they need my help too. I think you should stay away from the castle though." With a turn of her heel, she was off. "Good luck and thank you!"

"Good luck? No! Wait!" Zelda sighed, seeing that it was no use. It was odd that the little girl had such a high appreciation toward bugs, but nowhere near as odd as her current predicament. A wishing butterfly? She could believe that such things existed. Why her though? It was a greedy wish. Of course she didn't want to leave Link and Paya and the new champions. They were her friends, nonetheless. It was just an intrusive thought.

"Okay. Can I go back now?" Zelda pinched herself to no avail. "Link?" The sky above her was a brackish yellow that reminded her of mustard. Whoever this Zant was, he was powerful enough to change the color of the sky to perpetual twilight. It was time for her to move on.

...

Underfoot, everything was dead. When was the last time the sun had shone on these plants? Surely, they couldn't perform photosynthesis in this enviroment. They were all dead. Every so often, a pair of eyes would stare down at her in wonderment before whisking away to the nearest tree cavity or dashing into the shadows. The forest was afraid. She was afraid.

Zelda turned on her Sheikah Slate and gazed down at the opening screen. The map was not working, not that she expected it to, but the camera was still functional. She snapped a picture of the forest. It could prove useful when she got back. If she got back.

Snapping and slithering. The latter of the sounds was now the new source of fear. Zelda didn't know how far she had walked since the little girl left and only now did she realize that not everything was going to be as pleasant as her. She moved her feet slowly. Slowly. Yet, nothing could've prepared her for its strike.

The deku baba erupted from the ground beneath her feet, sending dirt and Zelda flying. Zelda hit the ground and, when she turned, was face-to-face with its decaying teeth and eyeless face. She couldn't be eaten by a plant! What sick kind of nightmare was this?! The deku baba hissed and reared back its oversized head.

"Heads up! We don't have time for this in the golden afternoon of twilight!"

In a split second, the head landed by Zelda's feet; its tongue lolling out its mouth. It convulsed once before going still. She was still looking at it when a pair of brown boots also came into view. Her eyes followed them up. White pants. Green tunic. Blue eyes. Blonde hair. And a green cap to top it off.

"Link?"


	2. Part 2

It was not Link. With a closer look, Zelda knew it to be true. His eyes were piercing as those of a hawk and his hair was not as sun-kissed as the Link she knew. Yet, he had the same stance and there was something else. She felt connected to him in some way and was at ease in his presence. It was like meeting a long forgotten friend.

"And who are you?"

Zelda shrieked as a black blob wrapped around the Link lookalike. It had one red eye and leaned in close.

"Why are you here? What is your connection with Link?"

"Um," Zelda shuffled backwards. The thing seemed intelligent. It also had the ability to float. Strangely, the thing did not have a definite edge in its form; rather it gradually faded.

Like a shadow.

"It's a rosy-nosed peasant girl. Maybe she got lost in the woods. Let's go." The shadow grabbed the sleeve of the lookalike and pulled, but he would not move. "Oh, come on! No more side quests. We. Have. To get. To. The. Castle." With one more pull, the shadow gave up and sat in midair.

"I'm Zel-," Zelda hesitated. "Guh. Zelguh." It was probably not wise to share her name. Not until she learned more about this land and its inhabitants.

"Zelguh, huh? I think I knew a Twili with that name," the shadow said. "On second thought, it might have been Zelgurt. He was a weirdo."

"Y... yes. Pardon me for asking, but what are you?"

The shadow's eye narrowed. "You're serious?"

"Who are you then?"

"Well, Zelguh," the shadow started, enunciating the "guh" more than necessary. "Midna's the name. Don't wear it out. And, yes, I am a Twili." Midna's grin faded to a frown at Zelda's apparent confusion. "The shadow people? We live in the Twilight Realm?"

"Shadow people?"

"Pfft. A sheltered peasant girl. Anyway, Link, we have to go!" Midna continued the labor of moving the hero.

Zelda's eyes met his. "Are you really Link? The bearer of the Triforce of Courage?"

The green-clad hero gave a curt nod. He knew something. She was sure of it.

"I... you shouldn't know that," Midna responded.

"I am so confused. I am not from this world. Please, could you help me?"

Midna sighed. "Listen, we each have our own problems and time is of the essence. You are probably going through post-trauma or something. Don't worry. We'll fix everything."

Useless. "One last request. May I take a picture of you, Midna?"

"Take a what?"

Zelda fumbled with her Sheikah Slate. "It's just for my record. I have never seen someone like you."

Midna scratched the top of her head with her hair. "Yeah, and I have never met someone as peculiar as you. What in the name of darkness is that?"

"It's a Sheikah Slate."

"Like that answers my question. Whatever."

Zelda moved the screen until she got both Midna and the Link lookalike and then tapped the screen. "And... good."

"Ow ow ow!" Midna curved her face with her hair hand. "Ugh, what was that?"

The princess looked down at the picture. Midna appeared only as a black blob. "Are you alright?"

"No. That burned!" said Midna. She rubbed her eye. Her face seemed to be a lighter shade of gray.

"The flash? I had to use it because it is so dark. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, and try to kill me?" Midna balled her hands into little fists. Link laid a hand on her shoulder and her fists uncurled slightly.

"I truly am sorry. I had no idea," she said. "I swear." Midna huffed and crossed her arms while Zelda put the slate away, vowing to not use it again until she returned home. She stood up and brought out her journal and pen. "May I at least do a quick sketch? There is no light involved," she added.

"I know that," Midna retorted. "Yeesh, I hope she rewards you well for this side quest," she told Link.

It took Zelda a short time though she gave up on the details of her mask and opted for a simple shape instead. Midna was surprisingly patient. "What do you Twilis eat?"

"Food."

The princess stopped asking questions after that.

"And done! Thank you so much. I hope I didn't bother you too much."

"Yeah, yeah," Midna muttered. She glided behind Zelda. "Hmm, I'd say that's accurate. Nothing beats the real deal though." In a flash, Zelda's journal was lifted into the air by the Twili's hair hand. "You have seen some strange things. Oh!" She flipped the book around to a drawing. "This looks like a bokoblin. Why did you make it look cute?" She continued flipping pages and finally stopped at one near the end. "What's this?"

Zelda peered over. Flattened on the page was a four-leaf clover. She had found it with Link. He had been a magnet to the elusive clovers while she could show nothing for her efforts. Finally, she found one. Truth be told, it was already picked out from the ground and was impossible not to notice. She knew her knight had put it there, but she couldn't care any less. Seeing the familiar plant once again caused Zelda to smile. "That's a four-leaf clover. They are considered lucky and are rare to come by."

Midna examined the mutation. "Luck?" She picked up the clover and closed the book, handing it to Zelda. "This will do. We'll need all the luck we can get."

Zelda took the book, dumbstruck. "Excuse me?"

"Okay, Link," Midna tucked the clover into her hairband. "Now we really have to go." This time, Link followed Midna.

"No. Don't leave me alone!"

Midna looked over her shoulder. "Link will help you after he helps my people. Bye-bye!"

Zelda ran after them, her feet create plumes of dust in her wake. She didn't want to be alone, but the duo was fast. A while later, she heard the whinny of a horse and, just as she exited the clearing, Link and Midna were riding off toward a castle in the distance.

...

Zelda didn't know where she was walking to. Her feet lead the way like clockwork. One step in front of the other.

"One step in front of the other."

A sinister aura prevented Zelda from nearing the castle, but she had to keep moving. At least, it was getting warmer. Had anyone in her world knew of her disappearance? Were they looking for her? Did her world even exist? She picked up her foot and saw the red sand shake down like a waterfall. When had she landed in the desert? When was the last time she had anything to eat? Was that a monument in the distance? My, her knees were trembling a lot. One more step.

The sand continued to burn under her feet.

...

Peppermint. Honey. The combination of smells was enough to wake Zelda from her slumber.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed. When she saw the ruined stone walls and crimson sand below, her heart dropped into her stomach. The sun blazed above, mocking her misfortune. She rose to her feet and then saw the looking glass. Larger than her and resting atop a pedestal, it was adorned with strange markings and the Triforce. A small teacup was placed on the ground beside the pedestal. Zelda's eyes went from the mirror to the teacup before she rushed to the teacup. This was the source of the peppermint and honey smell. Sand hugged the edge and the cup felt cold in her hand, yet it still found a way to her lips.

Sand. Only half of it was tea and it was cold. The rest was wet sand. She coughed and sputtered out the sand before drinking again. The feeling of tea going down her throat was worth it. The cup was empty in a few seconds.

"I must be mad," she said, dangling the cup by the handle. "Positively mad."

"Princess Zelda, I sense that there is much that we could learn from each other."

Zelda perked her head up. In the direction where the voices were coming from, a group of three silhouettes danced on the wall. She scrambled behind the pedestal.

"I came back here before telling you both about my leave, yet I felt it was only right to return. You didn't have to come," the voice continued. Zelda couldn't figure out why this voice sounded so similar.

"Of course we had to come. It will be a long time until we meet again, Midna."

Midna! Zelda peeked from behind her hideaway. She recognized Link, but the other two women were strangers. One of them in particular caught her interest. Her skin was almost white and markings splattered her skin. In her own way, she looked just as regal as the other woman. She couldn't be Midna, could she?

Zelda ducked behind again as the trio climbed up onto the pedestal. "Well... I guess this is farewell, huh?" Midna said. "As we all know, light and darkness can't mix." This was not the small imp she remembered. Where was she going?

"But never forget that there's another world bound to this one."

Another world? Zelda almost blew her cover and was about to speak up, yet something told her that they were thinking of different worlds. Her mind twisted into a knot. It was all too much.

"See you later." She could hear a sound similar to breaking ice and stood up. Cracks spiderwebbed the surface of the looking glass. Her eyes followed Midna's feet as she skipped up a clear stairway to a portal. Midna turned around at the top and smiled. Zelda could've have sworn that her red eyes gazed in her direction, a mischievous and knowing twinkle shining before she blinked and faded away. A small, green object fluttered down in front of her and Zelda picked it up gingerly.

Her clover.

Zelda held the clover to her chest. The portal was gone by now. She would return, wouldn't she? Zelda looked up a that mirror and was blinded by a brilliant white light.

Crash!

Glass flew in all directions and scattered light like a kaleidoscope. Time seemed to stop as the shards came closer, but she couldn't move. This strange world went black when the particles of glass struck her eyes.

...

Zelda's eyes shot open. Why did she have to relive this nightmare again? The cries of seabirds and the lapping of waves replaced the darkness of the last world. She hoisted herself and sat on the wooden floor.

Shink.

The blade of a sword hovered under Zelda's chin and she followed it to its handler. A petite, tan girl glowered down at her. Behind the girl, a group of what Zelda could only assume were pirates, showed no glimmer of kindness.

"What are you doing on my ship?"


	3. Part 3

This rivaled the fear she felt when faced with a Guardian. Zelda wanted to move, yet she remained a statue in the presence of the pirate girl and her sword.

"Oi! The wind stopped."

The pirate girl looked up at the sky after one of her crewmates spoke and that is when she finally moved. Zelda extended her right leg and slid it under the pirate girl's. The pirate girl went down with a scream and Zelda jumped and ran. Boat. It was all boat. The only escape was the sea.

"Miss Tetra!"

"Oof. Hey! Get her!"

Zelda hugged the side of the ship and jumped up the stairs to the steering wheel two at a time. She dared not to turn around at the pirates chasing her. "Why me?" she muttered. What would Link do? A sword. She needed a weapon. Zelda whipped around the steering wheel.

"How dare you hurt Miss Tetra?" Zelda was overshadowed by a pirate with a burgundy bandana. Even though he was on the opposite side of the steering wheel, he could easily grab her. She gripped one of the wheel's pegs and pulled down with all her strength. "Ack!" The pirate screeched as the rotating pegs pummeled his stomach. Zelda flew down the stairs on the other side of the ship. Stupid pirates. They had all followed her path instead of blocking and cornering her. She paused at the end of the stairs and glanced around.

"Um, excuse me?" Zelda swung around. There was the pirate girl, casually leaning against her sword, legs crossed. "That was dangerous, don't ya think?" She gripped the sword's handle and pointed it at Zelda. "What if the blade had hit me? You'd be an enemy of mine." Zelda held her breath. "Now, let me ask again. What are you doing on my ship?"

"You... you pointed your sword at me first," Zelda remarked. Oh, why had she said that.

"Excuse me?" The pirate girl's narrowed and her pirate crew ran by her side. Then, she dropped her sword. "Ha! You are right. How hypocritical of me."

Zelda stared at the sword. "I..."

"The name's Tetra and this is my crew." She motioned to the pirates behind her. "We are a friendly bunch of pirates and will be overjoyed to get you back to your home as soon as possible." Tetra winked.

"Really?"

"Of course! What is your name? Where are you from?"

"What is your family's status?" A pirate wearing purple called out.

Tetra glared at him and waved her hand up and down. "Don't listen to them. Come! Care to join me in war?"

"War?" Zelda gulped.

...

It was just a silly card game, yet Tetra took it very seriously. Everytime they placed the same ranked card, she yelled at the top of her voice, "War!" while her crew milled around both in and out of the cabin.

"So, Zelguh?" Tetra asked. Zelda decided to continue using her false name. "Where are you from?" She laid down a three of hearts and frowned.

"Hyrule." Zelda placed a seven of spades and added the two cards to her pile.

"Hyrule? Where's that?"

"I don't know. You can't help me?"

"Nope!" Tetra laid down another card only to beaten by Zelda again. "Luck much?"

Luck? That was not the term she would use.

"Miss Tetra." It was the burgundy bandana pirate from earlier. He gave Zelda the stink eye as he walked by and grazed his finger across his throat.

"Gonzo, stop holding a grudge. We are not chopping off her head. It is unhygienic," Tetra said. "I think I may have a card that will beat yours, Zelguh."

"Ever since she came, the wind has not picked up."

Tetra placed her cards down. "And you think Zelguh is responsible?" She chuckled.

"With all due respect, Captain, she just landed on our ship and is not from here."

"Hmm. Yes. I see what you mean." Tetra cupped her chin. "Let's go and check it out, Zelguh."

"But the card game?"

"Let's say I won by default and move on with our lives," she said, sliding the cards back into a little cardboard box.

Zelda followed the two outside. Some of the crew messed with the ropes while others simply basked under the sun. Not much was being done at all. That is, until Tetra came.

"Captain!"

"Yes. Yes. I am aware. No wind and all." She placed her hands on her hips. "And I wanted to get to Outset Island today. Is there anything we could do, Mako?"

The pirate called Mako adjusted his glasses. "We could bring out the paddles."

"Out of the question. Zuko!"

A voice called from above, "The waves are still, Cap'n!"

"Great. Nudge?"

"I advise that we deal with the stowaway," said a pirate in lavender.

Tetra rolled her eyes. "Not you too. Guess we are just staying on sea for another day." She smiled. "We can play more card games, Zelguh."

Zelda nodded and smiled back. She liked this world a lot better.

...

After five consecutive wins, Tetra gave up. Zelda would've felt proud if it were not for her seasickness.

"Let me show you around the place." Tetra led Zelda to the crew's cabins, the mess room, and more. It was like a moving house.

"And this is the treasury."

"Oh! You are pirates," Zelda recalled. "No one ever gets hurt... Right?"

"Of course. We are pirates; not barbarians." Zelda opened a random chest filled with gold and then another with bombs. "It's not stealing. More like collecting."

Collecting? Zelda admired the jewels.

"And this is a prized possession of mine." Zelda looked up at the necklace Tetra held. It was an upside-down 'V'. "It is barely worth anything though."

"May I?" Zelda motioned to the necklace.

Tetra hesitated before handing it to Zelda. "I guess."

With one touch, Zelda knew something was wrong. A shock went through her body and her blood rushed out her head. Instinctively, she dropped it to the ground. Her right hand throbbed. Why was her piece of the triforce was reacting to the necklace?

"Jeez! Be careful! Does 'prized possession' mean nothing to you?" Tetra picked up the necklace and hung it around her neck.

Zelda winced. "I am so sorry. Where did you get that?"

"From my family. You good?"

"I believe so. That was odd."

"Captain!" Nudge opened the door. "The wind has returned."

"Fantastic!" Tetra closed the chests. "But that is not all?"

He shook his head. "There's a monster in the sky so great that his wing flaps are creating gales."

The pirate girl reached for the hilt of her sword. "Zelguh, you stay here."

"But-"

"Stay!" Tetra followed Nudge. She could hear the yells of the pirates past the door. She couldn't stay here. Zelda opened the door of the treasury and glanced at the outside world.

It was pure chaos and no one knew what to do. The monster was enormous. A bird with great wings swooped past the deck, talons outstretched. Zuko threw rocks at the bird from his roost and Nudge swung her sword from below. The bird paid no attention to them. It paid no attention to any of the crew. Its sight was set on someone else.

Zelda flung the door open and leaped forward. "Tetra!"

Tetra turned around just as the bird grabbed her waist. She screamed and pounded her fists against its talons.

"Captain!" The crew was in a frenzy and threw anything they had.

Zelda backed up to the edge of the ship as the bird began to swoop again. It was all her fault. She couldn't lose more friends. The bird stared at her and flapped its wings with more ferocity than before. Zelda was swept off her feet and fell overboard into the murky depths.


End file.
